


Breaking Silence

by CorpsCommand2020



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Grisha Yeager, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Artistic Eren, Breaking and Entering, Depressed Eren Yeager, Dominant Levi, M/M, Mute Eren, Panic Attacks, Protective Levi, Secret basement, Strong willed Eren, missing characters, socially awkward Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:44:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9513959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorpsCommand2020/pseuds/CorpsCommand2020
Summary: Eren was never the same after his mother disappeared, blaming himself for his mother going missing he went mute and fell into a depression. It's been five years and never once has he spoken, trapped in the past from the traumatic event. Will he ever speak again? Or will he forever be weighed down by the guilt clouding his mind.





	1. Muted

 

~Eren's POV~

 

“Oi Yeager! Are you even listening to me?”

‘Just leave me alone already! I’m fine so stop bothering me.’

This has been my life for the past five years...ever since mom went missing. It was such a beautiful summer day too, who knew something so tragic could happen on a cheerful sunny day. She went out to get grocery like she does every Saturday, except this time she never came back.

If only I had gone with her! If only I wasn't such a fucking self absorbed idiot! It’s already been five years since she disappeared and the memory still haunts me, I doubt i’ll ever be able to forgive myself for it.

“You know we’re just worried about you! You could at least try and be thankful for our support!”

‘Ya? Well no amount of consoling is ever going to bring her back so why bother?’

Shrugging them off, I ran through the school halls and towards the nearest bathroom. Locking the bathroom door behind me, I slid down to the floor, grasping the sleeves of my shirt as I huddled into a tight ball.

_Ouch_

Pulling my sleeves up, I winced at the darkening purple bruise blooming across my upper arm.

‘Oh right, forgot about that…’

I guess one of the reasons I haven't been able to move on yet is because my father won’t let me forget. He blamed me for her disappearance since he was away on a business trip at the time. It’s true though, it is my fault mom won't ever come back home. I never even got to say goodbye before she left, too busy working on my project to even notice she went out.

Sighing I curled up once more, being more careful not to disturb the injury on my arm like last time. I gently ran my fingers over the swollen patch of warm skin, carefully tracing patterns over the heated flesh.

‘I should probably head back soon...even the teachers will start to notice my absence.’

Unfurling my legs I attempted to get up, wobbling a bit before leaning my weight against the bathroom wall. Prickly tingles were traveling up and down my legs from being in one position too long and I waited a bit for them to subside. I can never quite tell what sort of feeling that is, it’s painful yes, but it almost feels enjoyable at times like tickling your own feet.

After a while, the tingling stopped and I moved to unlock the bathroom door and head back to class. I was not prepared for what lay on the other side though, practically walking straight into the boy waiting in front of the bathroom door.

“Watch it! Stupid brat.”

Startled by the boys harsh tone after all the honeyed soothing tones my friends used with me, I stared in awe at him. He rested a hand on his hip as he glared coolly back at me, raising a brow as an unimpressed look settled over his features.

“Do you mind getting out of the way? I don’t have all day you know.”

My face flushed with embarrassment as I realized I must’ve been blocking the entrance to the bathroom. I lowered my face as I quickly moved around the boy and started towards my classroom.

“Oi!”

A sudden grasp on my arm caused me to flinch as the hold was far too close to my injury for comfort. When the other boy took in my pained expression, he quickly loosened his grip on my arm. Although not entirely letting go.

“You know it’s pretty rude to just walk off without apologizing after running into someone.”

‘I barely even touched you!’

Nevertheless, I gave him a small apologetic bow before trying to leave again. His grip tightened slightly, although lower on my arm then before.

“Can’t you talk? Or are you just a spoiled little brat that thinks the world owes him everything?”

My face began to heat again as I took in his words. It’s not like i’m trying to offend him or anything...I just can't speak, not since then. I yanked my arm out of his grip and sped off down the hall, rounding the nearest corner to get out of his sight. My heart was pounding and my chest was heaving by the time I was outside my classroom. I took a moment to recollect myself before walking in as casually as I could and returning to my desk.

‘What was that guy’s problem?’

I glanced out the window as his face popped into my mind. It was almost as if I could still feel those cold gunmetal eyes trained on me, scrutinizing me so calmly while I was falling apart before them. Even with that icy glare, his eyes were so mesmerizing. Like fifty shades of gray all fighting to be the dominant shade in that intense gaze. What am I even thinking about! It’s not like it even matters what colour his eyes were, seeing as i’ll likely never talk to him again.

Exhaling slowly, I rested my head on my folded arms. Closing my eyes, I slipped into an uneasy daze as I waited for class to be over.

 

* * *

 

~Levi's POV~

 

‘The hell was that kids problem?’

I didn't even yell at him or anything, so why did he bolt off like I was going to hunt him down or something? Whatever, I don't have time to be worrying about brats like him. Today’s the day i’m supposed to give a speech to the entire school.

“Fucking eyebrows, I swear i’ll make him pay one of these days.”

Being the school’s president has it's perks I guess, like getting to choose executives for certain clubs and who gets to speak during assemblies. But honestly, why on earth would he think it's a good idea to make a socially awkward person like myself speak in front of the whole school. Shaking my head I walked over to the sink to splash some water on my face. Grabbing a few paper towels, I wiped the excess water off and looked up into the mirror.

‘Alright, here goes nothing.’

 

* * *

 

~Third POV~

 

As students began to file into the room, sitting in their assigned positions among their classes. One boy was anxiously pacing back and forth back stage, reciting his lines before he would have to go up and actually use them.

“I can’t do this! Fuck eyebrows, i’m getting out of here!”

Making his way towards the back exit, he reached for the door handle separating him from freedom.

“Silly Levi! The stage is that way!”

A strong grip clutched his forearm as he tried to escape. His face screwed up into an annoyed scowl as he turned to face the person holding him back.

“I fucking know that shitty glasses! I’m leaving, tell Commander eyebrows over there to find someone else to do this cause I sure as hell won’t!”

He struggled to get out of her grip once more while she just giggled grabbing his arm with both hands now.

“Oh come on! It’s not like you’ll die from a little speech!”

She started dragging him back towards the stage as he kept trying to wriggle out of her grasp.

“Hanji! Let me go you bitch! I swear i’m going to rip your goddamn arms off if you don't let got of me RIGHT NOW!”

“Ah ah ah! Now what did we say about ripping people's arms off?”

He just glowered at the girl as she kept up her cheery enthusiasm, completely unfazed by the death glare being sent her way.

“Levi, I would appreciate if you would refrain from using violence on school property. I wouldn’t want to have to issue a suspension for my close friend now.” Levi simply scoffed at the boy who entered the room next. “Yah some friend you are, shoving me off the cliff like this!”

The taller blonde sighed, brushing his hair back into a neat fashion as he settled his calculating gaze on the struggling boy.

“Levi you’re a senior now! Just man up and do it, a little public speaking won’t kill you.”

“Easy for you to say Prince Charming! Everything always comes naturally for you, unfortunately I can't say I'm quite as blessed as you when it comes to charisma.”

The larger blonde rolled his eyes as he now turned to the girl still clutching onto Levi’s arm.

“Hanji, just make sure he gets on stage. I don’t care if you have to drag him kicking and screaming up there, just do it.”

“Aye aye commander eyebrows!”

Said brows furrowed at the nickname and he turned his accusing glare on Levi. Levi smirked back smugly at him as he flipped him both birds. Erwin just rubbed his temple as he turned to leave.

“I swear, if I didn't know you two better i’d think you were just a couple of idiots.”

 

* * *

 

Within the shifting chatty audience, one boy was trying his best to disappear into the sea of students. He seemed to be trying to collapse in on himself and become as small as possible.

‘There was an assembly today? I hope it doesn’t last too long, Grisha won’t be happy if i’m late coming home again.'

He shuddered as the memory of the night before fluttered into focus, quickly shaking the thought from his mind. ‘I deserved it anyway, someone like me doesn’t deserve to be happy.’ His form shrunk further as those depressing thoughts weighed heavily in his mind, causing him to appear even smaller than before.

“Eren, you alright? You look like you’re trying to shrink more than usual.”

The boy briskly nodded his head to confirm he was fine, as he gave the raven haired girl next to him an appreciative smile.

“Well if you ever feel down, you know where to find me.”

Her gaze was full of soft understanding as she shifted closer to her troubled friend, brushing shoulders with him in an attempt to comfort. He responded with a shy smile loosening his grip on his arms, unconsciously rubbing the injury he sustained last night.

The girl noticed the movements from the corner of her eye, narrowing her gaze as he winced when someone bumped his arm there. She realized whatever he was hiding under those long sleeves must've been paining him, but if he wasn't openly trying to tell her about it, meant it wasn't her business. That didn't stop her from worrying though as she tried to think of anyone who might want to hurt her friend.

However, their attention soon turned to the stage as the curtains were drawn back revealing the wooden podium at the center. A hush fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed and two people walked up on stage, one clinging to the other's arm as if their life depended on it. Eren’s eyes widened as recognition lit his gaze, there on the stage was the same boy who nearly gave him a heart attack earlier.

‘He’s part of the student council?’

Only members of the student council or teachers ever presented before the school during assemblies but this boy didn't seem to fit the description. Sure, he held an authorative aura and appeared formal enough. Yet, from what Eren could remember, his choice of words were anything but formal.

The two paused once they reached the podium, the boy basically yanking his arm out of the girls grasp as he threw her an annoyed glare. She responded with a jolly grin as she slapped him on the back a few times before stepping back so he couldn’t launch a counter strike . The boy faced the audience as he cleared his throat and began his speech.

“good afternoon students of Trost High, as all of you should know, i’m the school's Vice President Levi Ackerman.”

Eren’s eyes widened as he turned his shocked gaze towards the raven haired girl next to him.

‘Mikasa’s last name is the same as his, so does that mean they’re…’

“I know what you're thinking Eren, and no we're not related. In fact i’ve never seen him before in my life.”

Her answer was blunt and to the point like usual, not even turning to face him as she spoke. He shrugged and tuned back into the speech being presented below.

“As it is only the start of the year i’m sure most of you have already been thinking about joining clubs and doing such activities, but I must remind you all to make sure you don't overwork yourselves and only sign up, if you think you can handle it. The most important thing is that everyone is able to learn effectively and efficiently so taking on more than you can handle is definitely not a good idea. All in all, we of the student council, would like to welcome you all to another year in Trost High. Thank you all for listening and have a good day.”

‘Hmm, I guess he can be formal when he wants to be then.’

As the two council members walked off stage, students sitting around him started to get up and head out of the room. Seeing as the assembly was over, that marked the end of the day, meaning everyone was free to leave finally. Eren quickly jumped out of his seat and scurried towards the door, squeezing his way through to get out faster. He rushed ahead of the mob of students behind him as he made his way to his locker.

 

* * *

 

~Eren's POV~

 

School should’ve ended five minutes ago, meaning I only have ten minutes to get back home on time. If I run I should be able to- “Hey Yeager! Long time no see!”

As I rounded the last corner to my locker I came face to horseface with a certain idiot I would've rather not run into at the moment.

‘Dammit I don't have time for this!’

I tried my best to ignore him and get to my locker, but as luck would have it, he was currently leaning on it. I glared at him to let him know I wanted him to get out of my way but he just kept up his smug exterior.

“Still playing the role of poor little mute kid? Come on it’s been five years! Just get over it and move on already, at this point you're just a burden on everyone.”

Those words hit me hard as I trembled with fury, how dare he make assumptions about me! He doesn't know a thing about what I've gone through, yet he has the nerve to tell me get over it? I tried my best to contain my anger as I waved for him to move out of my fucking way again. He leaned closer to me instead, cupping his ear with his hand like he was trying to hear something better.

“Pardon me, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat what you want me to do?”

I Seriously don't have time to be dealing with this fucking ass-hat right now, if I don't hurry i’ll be late again. I shoved him out of the way and started to open up my locker. Pain shot through my arm as he yanked at it, making me face him once more. I nearly cried out from the twinge that traveled through my arm, causing me to lash out at my offender. A loud slap echoed through the hall as my arm was released, clutching it close to me I peeked up to see the extent of the damage I inflicted on him.

He was stunned, eyes wide with a bright red mark resembling a handprint on his cheek. His shock quickly turned to anger as he covered the fading mark and gripped the front of my shirt in his other hand.

“Oh you’re really asking for it today aren’t ya Yeager.”

He lifted his fist and I quickly shut my eyes, tensing in apprehension of a punch I never received. A few moments later, the grip on my shirt also disappeared and I finally opened my eyes to see what was happening.

In front of me was horse face being pinned against a wall by none other than the Vice President, his face remained apathetic as he leaned closer to the boy he was pinning against the wall.

“Now, I don't know what sort of disagreement the two of you had before but I strongly recommend you avoid resorting to violence.”

His icy voice made the warning that much more threatening as he released the boy. Jean shot a final glare towards me but even he wasn't stupid enough to start anything in front of the Vice President. Once he was out of sight I let out a sigh of relief before giving Levi a thankful smile. That is, until I realized just how late I was going to be if I kept loitering around here.

Panicking, I quickly went back to opening my locker and retrieving the things I would need to bring home for the day. A soft thud next to me alerted me to the fact that Levi never left. I quickly shot him a glance to let him know I wasn’t ignoring him before going back to packing my bag.

“So you really can’t talk then huh?”

I gave a curt nod in reply before zipping up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. I gave him another small smile and wave before beginning to head towards the exit.

“Wait! I know this is hard to answer but can you at least tell me your name?”

I paused and turned towards him, scratching my chin as I tried to think of a way to tell him without having to write it down somewhere.

“Here just type it on my phone.”

I quickly took his outstretched phone and typed out my full name before hurriedly giving it back to him. I threw him a last rushed wave as I bolted for the exit and headed home, looking at my watch I realized it was already too late. There was no way I would make it home in time, still best not to anger him further. My shoulders slumped at the thought of what would await me once I got home, but avoiding or stalling would only make matters worse.

‘I just hope it’s nothing too visible…’

 

* * *

 

~Levi's POV~

 

‘He ran away again.’

I shrugged it off, probably a common occurrence with him then I suppose. Glancing down at my phone, I read out the boy's name.

_Eren Yeager_

hmm has a nice ring to it...wait what am I even thinking about. I shook my head as I looked back at my phone, finger hovering over the delete button. After a little contemplation I sighed and saved it instead, who knows it may come in handy later. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I headed back towards the student council office.

‘Erwin’s gonna chew me out for pinning a student against the wall again...ah well. I had a reason this time.’

Quickening my pace I headed down to the office, mentally preparing myself for the lecture I would probably receive once I get there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I really enjoyed reading abusive Grisha stories so I wrote one myself...Anyways I hope you guys like this story and since I am in the middle of writing two stories, I'm sorry if my updates are really sporadic. :)


	2. Broken but Trying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK! so couldn't really wait to post another chapter so here I am, breaking my record of updating within the same day! Oh also just a warning, this next chapter contains some pretty dark stuff, so if you don't want to read that I suggest skipping past the first two paragraph thingies. I probably should've said before that this fic will contain both humor, fluff and some dark serious poop so...YAY! XD
> 
> (P.S. It may also contain some smuttiness later if I ever manage to complete a chapter without dying of laughter first!)

 

~Eren's POV~

 

The house was quiet, too quiet in fact. Creeping in, I slowly shut the front door behind me and tiptoed towards the staircase. Of course it was a futile effort, as the house was old and even the slightest pressure applied to the wooden floorboards would make them creak in protest. Cringing at a particularly loud squeak from the floorboards below, I shot a nervous glance towards the door leading to my father's study. The door was left ajar which was strange, he always shut the door when he was inside. I had a very bad feeling about this but there was nothing I could do, so I proceeded to try and make it to my room unnoticed.

A soft thump was the only warning given before I felt my legs get knocked out from under me. Yelping I fell forward just managing to hold my injured arm out to break my fall. It wasn’t enough though as my arm smashed against the edge of the last step slipping down and sending the rest of me crashing into the hard edged steps.

My vision went white for a moment as blinding fire burned behind my eyes from my head hitting a particularly sharp edge. I remained limp against the staircase, feeling a warm liquid travel across my face. I weakly opened my eyes to see red, confused by what I saw I realized some of the blood must've trickled into my eyes. I tried my best to clear my vision, blinking a few times before shutting my eyes again from the nausea invoked from the minor action.

“Heh, pathetic. Can’t even balance on his own two feet.”

I figured as much, guess there was no way to escape this. He delivered a series of hard kicks to my side as he took out his anger on my pliant body. This was one of his particularly worse beatings but it’s nothing I couldn't handle, after all, I've had to endure them for the past five years. My body was numb to the pain by now, not even registering when he delivered a rather harsh hit to my ribs.

He grasped a handful of my messy locks as he yanked my head up. The motion made my head spin, causing me to screw my eyes shut but besides that, I didn't give much of a reaction. As he looked over his work, satisfied with the bloody mess he left my face in, he threw me back down to the ground with a loud thud.

“Clean this shit up, that’s all you’re useful for anyways.”

He growled out the last bit as he headed back to his study, slamming the door shut behind him. Struggling to sit up I gagged at the tightness in my chest, coughing up a mouthful of blood as I rested my head back against the wooden floorboards. I remained panting in that hunched over position for a few moments before attempting to get up again. Finally, I managed to lift my broken battered body with the help of the railing beside me. Taking in the area around me my eyes hollowed at the sight of my own blood spattered here and there.

I limped towards the bathroom as I held a hand up to stop the bleeding from the cut on my forehead. Looking into the mirror I barely recognized the face looking back at me, full of defeat and tainted with a coating of red. Turning on the tap, I began washing the blood of my face so I could dress the wound. I simply slapped a band-aid over the still seeping wound and grabbed a handful of paper towels before heading out again. Setting to work on cleaning up the mess before Grisha found another reason to beat the crap out of me.

Twenty minutes and many antibacterial wipes plus paper towels later, the floor was finally deemed acceptable. Only a slight discolouration here and there showing where the occupied spots were before. Sighing I threw out the rest of the paper towels and finally trudged my way up the staircase. Hauling my tired body into my room, I shut the door behind me with a heavy thud and click as I locked it just in case.

Flinging my bag down onto the ground I made my way towards my private bathroom in the corner of the room. That's one thing I'm thankful for at least, this way I never have to run into Grisha if I need to use the bathroom for anything.

Stripping down to my underwear I walked over towards the shower, taking them off too and peeling halfheartedly at the band-aid covering my wound. Stepping into the shower I turned on the water and let the first cold bit shock my senses back into the present.

I shivered as the cool liquid trickled down my torso, mingling with the blood caked on my forehead and turning the water a slight pink shade as it made its way to the tiled floor below. Gradually, the water began to heat, pelting my aching body with a warm comforting touch.

Looking down I took in the battered state of my body, no longer the golden shade it used to be, instead covered in blue and purple hues from the constant beatings. Running my fingers over the bumpy texture of the swelling skin I gasped as I ran over a rather sensitive area. Turning my head to view the tingling area on my side, I saw the dark telltale signs of something broken beneath.

‘Well so much for not being too visible’

I finished my inspection of my wounds before hurriedly washing up and stepping out to dress the worst of my injuries. There was nothing I could really do for the broken or fractured bones, but I still wrapped up the area with gauze, wincing at the pressure being applied by the material.

‘Stings like a bitch but I've been through worse.’

Lastly, I properly dressed the cut on my forehead to prevent any infections. I guess I can always pull my hair down or wear a hat to hide that but I’ll worry about it later. For now I've got some school work to do. Retrieving my textbooks from my bag, I settled on my bed and began to fill in the answers.

 

* * *

 

~Third POV~

 

It was all pretty easy so he was done with the trivial stuff in a flash, now all he had left was art. Pulling out his sketchbook he reopened it to the last page, rereading the assignment paper as ideas began to form in his head.

He loved art since it was the best way to express his feelings without having to speak, after all ‘a pictures worth a thousand words.’

As he doodled his ideas down an idea popped in his head, lifting his sleeve he examined his arm once more. Pulling out some coloured pencils he began to draw out the designs and patterns he saw running between the blotches of bruised skin. The end result was a breathtaking page full of blues, blacks, purples and reds as the patterns seemed to spiral out of the book. He looked over it for a few more minutes before exhaustion won over.

Gently rolling down his sleeve, he carefully replaced his sketchbook in his bag and stumbled over to his bed. Curling up awkwardly on his uninjured side, he let out a content sigh. As his eyes fluttered closed an image flashed before him, one he was starting to get used to seeing.

A soft smile tugged at his lips as he imagined the face of the boy who never ceases to surprise him.

‘I hope I see him tomorrow.’

 

* * *

 

~Levi's POV~

 

‘Jeez I barely got a wink of sleep last night, stupid brat, fucking everything up!’

I’d been tossing and turning all night thinking about the brat from the day before. At one point, I even pulled out my phone to simply stare at his name again. It was bothersome having all these annoying thoughts crowding my mind and pretty much impossible to focus.

Now I rarely focus in class anyways since I already know all this shit they’re teaching us, but I couldn't stop fidgeting as my mind wandered off on certain thoughts…

 

* * *

  

“Well someone's a little restless today!”

“Not now shitty glasses, I don't have the patience to put up with your shit today.”

She puffed out her cheeks in a childish pout as she booed me. Still she backed off a bit to which I'm thankful for.

“But Leeeeevi~ I’m boooooooored!”

“I don't give a shit if you’re bored, go pester eyebrows for all I care!”

She threw me another pouty face, almost resembling a duck with the way her lips were sticking out. “You’re no fun!” Rolling my eyes I walked off towards one of the empty lunch tables.

‘Disgusting, they expect us to eat on this filth?’

I wrinkled my nose in disdain as I took in the state of the free table. Milk cartons were strewn about with bits of food from previous lunches splattered here and there, not to mention the stains from god knows what. I pulled out my spare wipes which I kept on me at all times for moments like these. Quickly pulling on a pair of gloves I cleared all the shit from the table and furiously began to wipe it down.

A snort from behind me followed by a poorly suppressed laugh reminded me that Hanji was still around. Throwing her an exasperated look over my shoulder, I continued to work on the task at hand. Once satisfied with the near spotless table and surrounding chairs, I threw out the gloves and wipes I used and sat down. Hanji quickly followed suit with another hardly contained chuckle as she observed my work.

“Still a clean freak I see!”

Ignoring her seemed like the best option so I did just that, pulling out my thermos and pouring myself a cup of lukewarm tea instead. She sighed as she came down from her laughing fit and back to the present, slowly she got up and gave me a mischievous look.

“I’m gonna go get Erwin~”

that sparkle in her eye warned me she was definitely up to no good.

‘Poor Erwin, and he had so much potential too, may his soul rest in peace.’ I shook my head in slight amusement as I anticipated the misfortune that would befall my ‘friend’.

A bright flash followed by the sound of chairs falling over startled me out of my reverie. Looking up I almost laughed at the hilariously cute sight before me. There sprawled on the floor, surrounded by knocked over chairs, was the same brat from yesterday.

He had an adorable guilty and confused look on his face as he looked up at me pitifully with those big gem like eyes. The boy obviously having startled himself too with his phones flash going off. This was the first time I got a good look at this boys eyes and it nearly took my breath away, the sea of blues and greens lured me in with flecks of gold shimmering here and there within those depths.

Snapping back to attention as I realized there must be a reason to why this boy looked so guilty. Quirking a brow I looked between him and his phone before pointing to myself, it didn't take a genius to link two and two together.

His eyes widened further, if that was even possible, beginning to water as his cheeks flushed scarlet in embarrassment. Before I could even formally ask him just what the hell he was doing, the boy took off without looking back. Leaving me to gape at his hasty retreat.

‘Yep, pretty sure running off is a common theme with him.’

Hearing the clearing of a throat behind me, I tensed as I realized I must've just spaced out for a moment there. Turning to face the person trying to get my attention, I cringed as I saw Hanji and Erwin both giving me arrogant knowing looks.

“The fucks your problem?”

I tried to remain casual so as not to alert them to my growing embarrassment but I seem to have failed miserably, if Hanji’s annoying chortle was anything to go by.

“So, Levi. Care to explain what that was all about? Or why that boy ran off almost in tears?”

‘Well shit, looks like I’ve got some explaining to do.’

 

* * *

 

 ~Eren's POV~

 

‘Did I really just do that? Please be a dream please be a dream!’

After slapping my face a bit and pinching my cheeks didn't work to wake me, I tried slamming my bruised arm against a locker. The aftershock traveled all the way through my body and I just stood there trembling for a moment before sliding to the ground, cradling my arm delicately as I slumped to the floor.

I thought I was used to the pain by now but apparently hitting my arm against my locker didn't fall under the list of things my body’s gone numb to. I whimpered on the floor a little while longer as the throbbing slowly receded to a dull ache, allowing me to think clearly again.

‘Well this sucks. Not only did I get caught taking a picture of a guy I barely know, but he also practically saw me crying!’

I gripped my phone in my uninjured hand a little tighter as I glared at the offending object, as if it was the phone's fault for me taking a picture of him.

Gloomily, I opened my phone to at least see if the picture, I thoroughly embarrassed myself for, turned out. Once my screen lit up all the tensions seemed to release from my body, there on the screen was the perfect picture of the boy whose face has been plaguing my thoughts. It almost seemed worth it.

His lips were pulled up with the barest traces of a smile, eyes shining with laughter even when the rest of his face seemed to remain so stoic. My heart grew warmer by the second as I stared at the picture, calming my nerves and making me forget all the trouble I went through to get it.

Holding the phone close to my chest I let out a happy giggle, giddy after witnessing such a seemingly rare sight. My eyes widened as the giggle escaped my mouth, my hand immediately covering it as shock settled in once more.

‘I...laughed? I haven't done that in ages…’

Gradually I uncovered my mouth as a warm smile settled over my features from the pleasant aftereffects of my previous giggling fit. I glanced at my phone again before getting up off the floor, dusting myself off before heading back to the cafeteria.

‘More...I want to laugh a lot more!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a little short but I promise to update soon with a longer chapter! Also, if you're reading the other fanfic I wrote, I will be updating that tomorrow so keep a look out!


	3. Avoiding the Inevitable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not as long as I hoped it would be but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging too long! Sorry for the delay.

 

~Levi's POV~

 

“Well, do you plan on explaining anytime soon or should I start eating first?”

Shaking myself out of my stupor, I focused on the conversation at hand. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I faced the two inquisitive idiots I called ‘friends’.

“What’s there to explain, I caught the kid doing something embarrassing and he ran off. End of story.”

Hanji let out a displeased whine, apparently my explanation was not to her satisfaction.

“Come on Levi, you could grace us with a little more detail than that!”

Rolling my eyes I took a sip of my tea instead, stalling for time as I knew they wouldn’t stop pestering me until they got the information they wanted.

This time it was Erwin’s turn to pry as he focused his considerate gaze on me, a chill travelling down my spine as I felt his eyes bore into me. Giving him a sharp, pointed look, I willed him to speak whatever was on his mind instead of fixing me with his creepy stare.

“There’s something you aren’t telling us, isn’t there? After all, it isn’t very often a person manages to escape you without at least some form of verbal abuse following after them.”

Sending him an uninterested glance, I went back to sipping my tea as I thought up a good defense.

“I’m pretty sure the kid was already suffering enough from embarrassing himself the way he did. I didn’t see any need for further punishment.”

Hanji tutted at my matter of fact tone and let out a whine in exasperation.

“But what _did_ he do before we got here? What _could_ be so embarrassing that it sent him running nearly in tears?”

Her voice took on a more contemplative resonance as she pondered what the boy could have done, and from the looks of it, she wasn’t getting anywhere. Even though it wasn’t really all that embarrassing that he took a picture of me, the idea of telling Hanji and Erwin made my skin prickle in apprehension. I just couldn’t seem to shake this feeling of uncomfort, no matter how much I tried to tell myself this wasn’t something worth hiding.

Every minute we sat in silence only made the air feel thicker around us, the tension caused by their eagerness to figure out what happened and my reluctance to tell them. Alright this is just ridiculous! It’s not like this is some deep personal secret so I’m just going to say it!

“The brat was taking a picture of me when his phone’s flash went off ok? That’s it.”

Each word was practically dragged out of my throat, even then my response was barely audible. Cursing myself for making it seem like something so important, I tried to move on from the uneasy subject and focused more on them.

“So, what happened with you two then? Sure took your time getting back here.”

Their reactions were instantaneous. With Hanji radiating mirth and mischief, while Erwin looked more annoyed by whatever had her so giddy. If I had to guess, Hanji probably caught Erwin when he was off guard, thus leading to her success.

“Let’s not talk about that…”

Erwin was rubbing his temple, looking rather flustered by whatever transpired between them. It didn’t matter much to me anyways but it did successfully distract them from our previous conversation. As for what happened between them, I’m sure it won’t take long for Hanji to come bouncing to me with all the details.

 

* * *

 

 ~Eren's POV~

 

‘Hmm, there’s a sub today. He looks pretty scary.’

For whatever reason, our usual PE teacher wasn’t here today, meaning we had a substitute. I’m not really fond of subs since they always assume I’m being disrespectful when I don’t respond to them. This one seemed especially mean, giving off a no fooling around aura as he stood in front of us.

After introducing himself as Shadis in a rather serious manner, he was barking for us all to line up in rows. This man was obviously more of a boot-camp instructor as all his orders were delivered in shouts, getting in the faces of students who didn’t manage to complete the task within an acceptable time limit.

Dread began to fill me as he ordered us to state our names in order starting from the students in the front row, I being in the middle of the front row, started to panic. As the names got closer and closer to mine, I felt myself begin to tremble, unsure of what to do when it was my turn. A firm grasp on my wrist managed to calm me down as I felt the comforting presence of Armin next to me, giving it an encouraging squeeze before calling out his own name next.

Without so much as a pause he quickly called out “and Eren Yeager” before returning to his mock militaristic stance.

I felt more than saw the sharp stare being sent my way, a loud “Halt” ringing around the gym as heavy footfalls approached us. Cold sweat began to form on my body with each step he took towards us, my nerves showing through my attempt at keeping up a serious front. It wasn’t long before he was standing right before us, glaring between Armin and I before crossing his arms.

“Care to explain why you are stating your friends name for him?”

His eyes were hidden in shadow with the way he tilted his head, giving him a more menacing appearance as he waited for a response. My hands were shaking at my sides and I couldn’t look him in the face, his tone and stance reminding me too much of my father.

I felt like I was about to have a nervous breakdown under his intense glare but was saved once again by Armin as he quickly stood in front of me, shielding me from those dagger like eyes.

“He means no disrespect sir. He’s mute.”

The sub continued his glowering for a few more moments before shooting me a final glare.

“Fine, but this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Arlert and Yeager, run 60 laps around the gym then rejoin us outside.”

By this point we knew he wasn’t just shitting around, without a seconds hesitation we were off, scrambling to complete the 60 laps before the period ended.

 

* * *

 

 ~Third POV~

 

“Man that sure was exhausting!”

The two boys collapsed against the lockers once they made it back into the locker room. Although Armin is normally the one who struggles more from strenuous activities, as he wasn’t as physically fit, the laps irritated Eren’s injuries, leaving him a panting mess.

Armin was the first to catch his breath and looked over at his friend, worry lighting his gaze as he saw Eren was still struggling for breath and clutching his sides.

“Eren, you ok?”

Placing his hand lightly on Eren’s back, he was shocked when he flinched away from him, looking as if the touch burned him.

“Seriously Eren, you’re really starting to worry me. Do you want to go to the nurse's office?”

This sent the brunette into a panicked frenzy as he immediately began to shake his head and back away, the extra movement drawing wheezes out of the already struggling boy. He looked as if he was on the verge of hyperventilating, his face reddening from the lack of oxygen.

Armin was promptly at his side, directing him to take longer, deeper breaths, so his friend wouldn’t pass out. Careful not to touch him too much as it seemed to panic the brunette more than comfort.

The sound of a person entering the locker room had Armin whirling around to face whoever was coming in. He was met with a shocked gaze as a certain horse faced teen rounded the corner towards them, halting in his tracks.

He took a moment to asses the situation, eyes narrowing as they landed on the distressed form of the panting boy behind Armin.

“What happened to him?”

For once Jean was being serious, crouching down next to them as he was being filled in.

“I don’t really know, He just started panicking when i mentioned going to the nurse’s office and then he started hyperventilating. I think he may be hurt elsewhere too, he hasn’t stopped clutching his sides and it looks like he’s in a lot of pain.”

Jean nodded in confirmation, turning back to Eren he began putting one of Eren’s arms around his shoulder, effectively hoisting him up.

“We have to get him to the nurse’s office, Armin support his other side.”

the blonde teen rushed to do as he was told but Eren seemed to have other plans, struggling weakly in Jeans grip.

“Dammit Eren we’re trying to help you! Now’s not the time to be holding grudges!”

Eren winced as Armin grabbed a firm hold of his other arm, the pressure over his injury proving too much for him to handle. His knees collapsed under him, nearly taking the other two out with him.

“Fuck! We’re never gonna make it like this.”

Still, the two teen continued to drag the limp brunette towards the door, determination coursing through their veins as they focused on getting him into the hallway first.

They just managed to make it out the door when Eren seemed to regain consciousness, eyes widening in panic as he realized where they were taking him.

‘No! I can’t go to the nurse’s office, I just can’t!’

Strengthening his resolve, he grit his teeth as he yanked his arms out of their grip. Pain rippled through his entire body as he fell on his injured side, ripping a scream out of his throat as he felt the suspected broken bones shift and crack further.

Even with the waves of pain spreading through him, he continued his desperate escape, dragging his aching body into an upright position. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the stunned forms of the two teens, most likely shocked by the scream he let out seconds prior.

This was his chance! Taking advantage of their momentary incapacitation, he pushed himself off the floor and proceeded to stumble his way down the hall towards the exit, clutching his still sensitive side the whole time.

He almost made it too, until a sharp blow was delivered to his stomach. Managing to avoid his other injuries and punching with just enough force to knock him out, not enough to actually hurt him though.

The brunette stood rigidly a second longer before falling into the person's arms.

“Tch, stupid brat. He’s making this a lot more difficult than it has to be.”

The other two shocked boys had finally come to their sense, rushing towards the raven now hoisting the unconscious boy over his shoulder.

“What did you do to him!”

Armin all but screeched as he ran towards his friend, assuming the worst after taking in his listless form. Jean coming to his side in an instant, glaring daggers at the vice president as he remained stoic in their presence.

“Relax, I just knocked him out for a bit. He wasn’t going to cooperate otherwise.”

Their postures relaxed slightly, relief washing over the blonde teen as he saw the gentle rise and fall of Eren’s back.

“We better get him to the infirmary before he wakes up.”

 

* * *

 

 ~Eren's POV~

 

It was a real struggle to open my eyes, the heavy lids refusing to lift as I came back to my senses.

After a few more attempts, I was finally able to open my eyes, confusion filling me the moment I took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The room was very white, everything from the bed sheets to the ceiling tiles maintaining a clean off white shade. For the first time in the past five years, I felt comfortable and safe. Of course, that is until I realized just where I was. Shooting up into a sitting position, I rapidly regretted the sudden movement as it caused my head to spin and my sides to ache once more.

“You shouldn’t be moving around so much, especially in your condition.”

Looking up, I noticed I wasn’t alone in the room. A kind looking woman with short strawberry blonde hair walked to my side, crouching next to me.

‘This must be the school's nurse.’

After giving me a warm smile, she reached a hand out towards me as she introduced herself.

“My name’s Petra Ral, I’m one of the school’s nurses. And you are?”

I bit my lip as I realized she was waiting for me to respond, looking down into my lap instead as she slowly lowered her outstretched hand.

“Hmm, can’t talk then…”

Standing up once more, she put a hand on her chin as she pondered for a moment, snapping her fingers when an idea came to mind.

“Hold on just a moment!”

She rushed out of the office soon after, leaving me stunned and curious as to what she went off to do. It was then that it struck me, this was my opportunity to leave!

‘If I stay here they’ll find out. It’s best if I leave now.’

Pulling the covers off, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and heaved myself to my feet. Staggering a bit as I tried to regain my balance, leaning against the wall for support.

After a quick test to make sure my legs would still be able to support my weight, I began heading towards the door. I was just about to open the door when it swung open on its own, revealing the annoyed figure of a certain grey eyed student I was running into all too often these days.

Crossing his arms, he closed his eyes as his temple twitched slightly out of frustration.

“Mind telling me just where you think you’re going?”

I felt my heart drop as I concluded there would be no getting past him. Nevertheless, I remained stubborn as I glared back at him, holding my ground as his frustration grew.

A sudden feeling of dizziness swamped my sense as I stumbled forward a bit, crashing into the boy’s firm chest. A blush spread across my cheeks as the humiliation of my position settled in. I couldn't do anything about it though as the room was still spinning from the sudden dizziness and I clutched at the front of his shirt as I squeezed my eyes shut.

He let out a soft ‘tch’ from above me as I was suddenly lifted off my feet, squeaking in surprise as I was pulled closer to him in a bridal hold.

“Stop wiggling, you’re hard enough to carry as is!”

I stilled against him, letting him carry me back to the bed I just crawled out of. Covering my face in embarrassment as he set me down, even going as far as pulling the covers back over me and tucking me in firmly.

“Just let us help you will ya kid?”

peeking up at him through my fingers, I noticed a hint of worry in his gaze as he continued to watch over me. Guilt began to cloud my mind again as I realized I was the cause of his stress.

‘Dammit! I really am burden on everyone!’

I curled in on myself further as I shuddered, unwanted tears welling up in my eyes as the guilt continued piling up inside of me.

Hearing a muttered “shit” above me I tried my best to contain my tears but it just resulted in more flooding out. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder as my body shook, the shock of the unexpected touch putting a stop to my tears.

Blinking away the leftover tears, I turned a baffled look towards the raven as he gave my shoulder a soft squeeze before letting go.

“It’s going to be alright Eren. You’re safe here.”

My bewilderment increasing tenfold as he said my name, I didn’t think he would remember it. Then again, I have run into him pretty often in the past couple days so i guess it wasn’t too surprising.

Warmth spread through my chest from the sound of my name leaving his lips, filling me with more happiness than I’d like to admit.

‘Why does he make me feel this way? What is this feeling even?’

All these unanswered questions and no way to ask them, a bittersweet feeling filling me as I tried to decipher what i was feeling.

“I’m back! Oh Levi, are you here to check in on him?”

The nurse walked towards us, sending Levi a teasing glance as she approached.

“Well someone’s gotta make sure this brat doesn’t try anything stupid.”

Glaring at the back of his head a bit, I stuck my tongue out at him as I heard a soft giggle escaped the kind nurse.

“It looks like he doesn’t appreciate being called a brat.”

Covering up her giggling mouth with a hand, she composed herself before holding something out to me. Giving her a curious look, I took the item from her hand and flipped it over so I could see what it was.

It was a small whiteboard, a few markers clipped to the sides that I could write with. I sent her an appreciative smile as I wrote down the words _Thank you, and my name is Eren Yeager_. Holding up the board so she could read what I wrote, smiling softly at me as she nodded in understanding.

“Nice to meet you then Eren, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

I paused for a moment, understanding where this is probably going. I stared down at the whiteboard in my lap a bit, clenching my fists in my lap as I contemplated what to do.

I couldn’t tell them how I got these wounds, but if I don’t tell them anything they’ll call home...that’s the last thing I want them to do.

I guess I was taking too long to answer as she quietly called out to me.

“Eren are you ok honey? You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, we won’t force you.”

I dropped my gaze back to my lap and shook my head, writing down _Can I please go home?_ on the board instead.

She shared a grim look with the vice president as she let out a soft sigh, nodding slightly as she really couldn’t do anything against my will.

Giving them a final appreciative bow, I turned to leave the room when a firm hold on my arm stopped me.

“Those wounds you have are serious, it’s not something you can ignore forever. Why won’t you let anyone help you?”

Giving him a sad wistful smile, I shook my head once more, signifying he wouldn’t be able to understand. Tugging my arm out of his grasp, I headed back to the hell hole I called home.


	4. A Call to Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I finished writing this last night but I didn't post it because I was too tired and done with life to properly check it over. Since I didn't want to update a half-assed chapter I decided to wait till today to update. Sorry if there are still some mistakes, I am working on it! Anyways, sorry for yet another delayed update :P

 

~Eren's POV~

 

Looking down at his arm, he took notice of the expertly wrapped bandages now covering his wounds. They were definitely a lot better than anything he’d be able to put on himself.

Sighing, he lifted his gaze to view the fading orange light of the setting sun, he hadn’t gone home yet. Fearful of what may await him within those walls where no one could save him.

He knew he was only making his punishment worse by staying out so late, but he was secretly hoping his father would fall asleep before he got back. The likelihood of that happening were slim to none but at least he could enjoy a few more minutes without being in constant pain. Shutting his eyes, he relished the last few rays of sun as they slowly dissipated, creating a sense of calm within him.

He stayed a while longer, watching as the first few stars began to glimmer in the distance. Gradually, he pulled himself up, using the tree he had been resting against as support. Stretching out his legs a bit, he resumed his trek home, praying with all his might that his father wouldn’t be awake.

As usual, luck just never seemed to be on his side.

The whole street was quiet and dark, every house but his of course. His pace slowed as he approached the house, the light emanating from the upper floor window seeming alien and foreboding compared to the rest of the shadowed street.

With baited breath, he placed his key in the door, turning the knob painfully slow as he tried to be as noiseless as possible.The door was barely open when it was suddenly yanked the rest of the way, an arm darting out fisting his shirt and dragging him in before he could even register what was happening.

Letting out a startled yelp, he was pulled in, the door slamming shut behind him. The rest of his street returning to its silent state once more. No one seemed to notice what happened in that house, if anyone did they were silenced by the power of his father’s money.

After all, who would be willing to help a boy who wasn’t even trying to help himself. Or so it seemed to everyone else.

 

* * *

 

 ~Grisha's POV~

 

“Where the fuck have you been!”

I threw him to the ground, he continued to shiver and cower there not answering like usual.

'Heh, he knows better than to talk back anyways, after all I am the one who provides for this household.'

“What should I do to you this time hmm? How should I punish you-oh I know!”

Grasping a handful of his chocolate brown locks, I yanked him along behind me as I made my way to the cellar door. Turning to gage his expression as I hovered my hand above the oh so familiar latch leading to the hidden cellar beneath the house.

His eyes were teary, full of fear remorse and pain as he struggled to get out of my grip. For a second, our eyes locked together, my breath catching in my throat as I stared into his cobalt blue and sea green eyes. So identical to his mother’s I almost couldn’t stand it. His thoughts and feelings as easy to read as ever While I drowned in those pools.

Tearing my gaze away I wrenched the latch open with more force than necessary and flung him down into the dark depths. A sickening crack sounded after him and I slammed the latch down, locking it before collapsing next to it. A coat of cold sweat formed on my body as I struggled to get back to my office, crumpling into my chair as my thoughts darted erratically to and fro in my head.

‘Dammit! It’s his fault! All his fault! If it wasn’t for him, Carla would still be here right now!’

Letting out a groan I let my head fall into my hands, resting my weight on my elbows as I leaned against my desk.

I loved Carla so much, but I also loved my son...who took after his mother.

They both had those strong eyes so full of emotion, their hearts so big I felt undeserving of having such extraordinary loving people in my life.

When Carla went missing, I broke. I couldn’t handle the pain of losing her and deep down inside, I know I’m only blaming Eren because every time I see him, I’m reminded of my own mistake.

I should never have left them alone here, I should’ve stayed, then none of this would have happened. Instead of accepting responsibilities, I pushed all the burden and pain on my son, taking all the anger and hate I had towards myself and channeling it towards him instead.

What I hate the most though, is that he hasn’t returned the same anger and hatred towards me. He even believes it’s his fault as well, creating more guilt and anger within me which I, in turn, take out on him.

Never once in these past five years, have I seen any sort of hatred or rage in his eyes. Even now, all I could find in his gaze was acceptance and forgiveness, forgiveness towards me.

_How can he be so strong?_

_How has he been able to cope with all this so well!_

_Why can’t I be the same?_

Stumbling out of my office, I staggered towards the bathroom and opened the faucets letting out a stream of cold water. With shaky hands, I proceeded to splash my face with the running water as I tried to get my thoughts back in order.

Looking up I was greeted by the horrible monster I’ve become. My weary and hate filled expression staring back at me through the mirror. With a roar I launched my fist at it, shattering the mirror and slashing up my knuckles in the process. I can’t stand to look at myself anymore, I don’t want to remember any of this! I just want...I just want everything to go back to the way it was before, when we were all happy.

Drawing my fist away from the broken remains of the mirror, I watched as red fluid dripped down my wrists, droplets falling into the white sink.

‘Crap I gotta stitch my hand up now.’

Turning away from the mirror, I walked towards the front door instead. Although I was a highly established medical professional, I can’t possibly stitch up my own hand, especially when it’s my dominant hand.

Growling in irritation, I walked out the door towards my car and slammed the door behind me.

 

* * *

 

 ~Eren's POV~

 

I felt broken and cold, simply lying against the cracked stone floor of the cellar. The familiar ache I had gotten used to over the years being my only company in this dark lonely room. My face felt wet where my head hit the ground, most likely bleeding from the impact.

Stifling a wail that threatened to escape, I pushed halfheartedly at the ground in an attempt to get up. It was useless, my arms were so weak and my left was probably broken at this point. Instead I brushed the fingers of my right hand over the cracks in the stone floor below, familiarizing myself with this room once again.

It had been about a year since I was last left down here, this being my father’s ultimate form of punishment. Isolation. Our cellar had no windows and no lights, the single light-bulb that hung from the ceiling burned out long ago leaving nothing but dark emptiness in here.

How long will he leave me in here this time? _Three days? Four days?_ A _week_ for all I know. It’s hard to judge time when there’s no way to see the outside world from in here.

I curled in on myself, whimpering as goosebumps began to form on my skin.

Maybe this time I’ll die down here...who knows...it’s not like anyone will even notice I’m gone.

 

* * *

 

 ~Levi's POV~

 

‘Hmm, doesn’t look like the brat’s here today…’

There was definitely something bad happening to the kid, there’s no way he can have that many nor that severe of injuries from simply falling down or doing one too many laps during gym. I’d been worrying about him all night.

‘Why does he insist he’s fine! Why can’t he just ask for help and stop being such a stubborn brat!’

My annoyance with him only increased when he refused our help yesterday, that depressing smile he gave me still haunting me to this moment.

“Le-”

“Lev-”

“Levi!”

“EARTH TO LEVI STOP IGNORING ME!”

I almost fell out of my seat from the loud as fuck voice yelling in my ear. I swear I can hear ringing from that.

“What the hell was that for!”

“Humph, you were spacing out again!”

I just tched at her and pointedly looked away, letting her know just how annoyed I was with her.

“She’s got a point though, you have been spacing out a lot more recently. Do we need to get your head checked out or something?”

I simply fixed a cold glare on him, signifying I wasn’t in a joking mood right now. I swear these guys have been getting on my nerves a lot more recently.

“Man Mr.Grumpy pants! We’re just trying to make sure you’re alright, no need to give us the cold shoulder. Oh and by the way, I heard you were visiting some kid in the infirmary yesterday. Care to let us in on that one?”

Hanji was practically on the edge of her seat, bouncing in excitement to hear about it. I pinched my brows together as I groaned in annoyance. These guy’s just have to go sticking their noses in everyone's business don’t they?

“What’s this? Levi going to the infirmary to visit a fellow student? I sure hope you aren’t the reason they were in the infirmary in the first place.”

Dammit now even Erwin’s gonna pry into this. Why can’t they just leave me alone and mind their own business.

“No I was not the reason the kid was in the infirmary and I was only there to make sure he didn’t try anything stupid.”

Hanji just squinted at me in confusion while Erwin sat expectantly, like he was waiting for a further explanation. I just glared back at them until Erwin sighed, running a hand through his perfectly neat hair.

“Come on, don’t make us pry every little piece of information out of you!”

“Look, the kid was trying to run off while being seriously injured instead of visiting the nurse’s office, so I knocked him out and kept watch over him so he wouldn’t try to escape again.”

My explanation only made Erwin sigh in exasperation as he pulled his hand down his face. Hanji laughing like crazy when she heard I knocked the kid out.

“So you are partly responsible for putting him in the infirmary?”

‘Well I wouldn’t really call myself the main reason but…’

“What am I going to do with you Levi.”

 

* * *

 

 ~Third POV~

 

Armin was getting increasingly worried as the day’s carried on, one absent day slowly becoming three as the week progressed. Sure Eren had been absent on previous occasions but never for more than two days. By now even the teachers were starting to realize a pattern as Eren didn’t show up for any of his classes and no one called in for him.

‘I knew I shouldn’t have left him with that guy! Why didn’t I listen to myself at the time.’

Making a silent agreement to search for the vice president during lunch, he decided he’d have to take matters into his own hands to figure out what happened to his best friend.

“Oi, suicidal bastard still not here today?”

Turning to face the person addressing him, Armin gave Jean an irritated glare in response.

“He’s not suicidal! He’s still recovering from PTSD so I’d appreciate if you didn’t make fun of him for that.”

The two toned haired teen just rolled his eyes, snorting as he shuffled over to sit in the seat beside Armin. They were given a work period today since Professor Zacharius didn’t feel like teaching and jean planned to use that to his full advantage.

“Please, that happened five years ago! He’s gotta get over it at some point. I bet he’s just sitting around at home moping cause he needed my help the other day and he’s too stubborn to admit it.”

Armin sighed inwardly, Jean was just too full of himself sometimes. Yet part of him still hoped Jean was right, He’d rather have a mopey Eren than an injured one any day.

 

* * *

 

 

‘I’m seriously going to do this. Ok calm down, he’s just a student like me. I mean sure he’s a senior and the vice president but he still has to follow school rules right? I hope to god he does…’

Armin fidgeted in his seat, eyeing the raven from across the cafeteria, he made up his mind to find out what happened to Eren after he left and he damn well will. Now if only he could move his legs...

“Armin, you’ve been staring at the vice president for a while. Do you have a crush on him or something?”

His head whipped around so fast his friends feared it would snap from the movement. Eyes wide with shock and panic as he looked over at the raven haired female sitting across from him.

“No-no-no! I...I just...wanted to ask him something.”

He looked down at his feet, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair as he felt her unconvinced gaze bore into him. She knew he was hiding something, after all he could barely even look at her while he responded.

“Jeez what could you possibly want to talk with the vice president about? He’s like the most feared person in the school!”

Armin threw an ‘I know that’ look towards Connie as his friend stated the obvious. Groaning as he slumped against the table, unsure of how he was supposed to ask his question when he couldn’t even find the courage to speak with him.

“Well you must have some reason for wanting to ask him something. So, what is it?”

Mikasa was sure as hell gonna find out what was bothering her friend, she hated being left out on things, especially when they seemed so important.

Armin peeked up at her with a guarded expression, unsure whether to tell her what happened that day or not. After all, Mikasa practically assumed the role of Eren’s mother after the incident. No one was more attuned to Eren’s feelings than Mikasa and she knew that, which was why she was always so protective towards the quiet brunette.

‘This might actually work…’

Mikasa was the type to deal with things head on, if anyone here could face Levi it would definitely be her.

“Well, I just wanted to ask...if he knew where Eren was.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she listened, unsure how Levi of all people would know what happened to the brunette she’d been worrying about for a while.

“Why the hell would short stacks over there know anything about Eren’s whereabouts?”

Sweat began to form on Armin’s brow as he was reminded he never did tell Mikasa what happened that day.

‘She’ll flip if I tell her the truth!’

“Hehe, funny thing is, he was sorta the last person to see him before Eren stopped coming to school.”

Mikasa was out of her seat in an instant, her eyes filling with suspicion and anger before Armin could even tell her the whole story. He tried his best to stop her and get her to listen but she just continued towards the other raven, dragging a protesting Armin along with her.

“Oi, midget. What the fuck did you do to Eren.”

Growling out every word through clenched teeth, she glowered down at the apathetic male who hadn’t even acknowledged their presence yet. Slamming a hand down on their table, Mikasa’s glare sharpened as she was ignored.

“I’m fucking talking to you!”

A nervous cough sounded from the table as someone tried to relieve the growing tension settling around them.

“Ahem, Levi. I believe these freshmen are trying to talk to you…”

Said raven’s face scrunched up into a scowl, as if he’d just been woken from a nice dream. Turning a cold expression on the blonde and black haired students intruding his space, he narrowed in on the familiar face of the boy.

“Tch, what do you want.”

“Well we ju-”

“Where the fuck is Eren asshole!”

He quirked a brow at her foul language and the waves of aggression rolling off her. He’d never met a student who would directly insult him like this and to say he was surprised would be an understatement. Deciding to humor her, he folded his hand together and rested his elbows on the table; placing his chin atop the folded hands as he faced her.

“How should I know where that brat is?”

You could hear her teeth grinding as she clenched her jaw further, leaning closer to him as she snarled out.

“Cause you were the last person to see him before he stopped coming to school dumbass.”

Although this was true, it didn’t mean he had any further knowledge on what happened to the boy. He himself being just as confused as the rest of them after his sudden disappearance.

“Look, I really don’t know what happened to him, I tried to get him to stay and let us help him but he refused. After that you know about as much as I do on where he could be now.”

The tension seeped from her shoulders as she accepted his response, sensing no hidden facts and a similar confusion to her own from the stoic raven.

“Well, can you at least tell me if he was injured when he left here?”

Letting out a sigh as he recalled the encounter, he nodded his head.

“I’ll admit he was in pretty bad shape when he left, I can’t tell you the exact details of the injuries he sustained but I can say they were not the type you’d get from simply falling down.”

Both the blonde and raven haired female exchanged a worried look, knowing there was something wrong with their friend before but not certain how bad it really was.

Armin finally spoke up, kneeling by the table as he looked to Levi with a hopeful expression.

“I know you aren’t really allowed to do this but please make an acception for this case. None of us know where Eren lives and I know the school keeps a record on everyone, so can you please help us out?”

His eyes were so full of concern, desperately pleading for the ravens help.

Levi closed his eyes for a moment, his own worry spiking from having his suspicions confirmed by the brunettes apparent closest friends. He didn’t even have to think twice before nodding once in confirmation.

He was going to be in so much trouble after this but he couldn’t care less. His worry for the missing boy winning over as he looked towards the other two occupants of the table.

Neither had said a word throughout the encounter but they had clearly been paying attention as Erwin was glaring him down. His expression giving off a ‘don’t you dare’ sort of vibe as Levi stood from his seat smirking.

“Duty calls.”

With that he was waving the two younger students to follow him as he made his way towards the council office.


	5. Breaking and Entering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! I wrote a chapter sorta on time!

 

~Eren's POV~

 

The sound of pacing echoed from above, the occasional muttering followed by a smash of something breaking. It sounds like something was bothering the man above, or perhaps he was just having one of his fits, who knows. It was hard to concentrate with this constant pain and hunger gnawing me from the inside.

My body was weak before the starvation, now I could barely hold onto my consciousness.

I often wondered why I kept fighting, why I didn’t just surrender; it would be less painful that way. Yet every time I closed my eyes I couldn’t help but see my mother’s smiling face, feel her warm hand brushing through my hair once more. Her strong loving voice telling me to hold on, that things will be alright if I just kept fighting for a little bit longer.

It was at times like this that I knew, I knew she was never going to come back. Since the first time I dreamed of her, heard her voice comforting me as I wept alone in my room; I knew she was gone.

The fact that she was telling me to keep fighting, that things would get better fueled me, giving me the courage to continue.

I just hope I have the strength to hold on so I can make her proud.

 

* * *

 

 ~Third POV~

 

“Alright we’re here, but for fuck’s sake keep it down. We aren’t supposed to be in here.”

Armin walked into the closet sized room first, a little disappointed by the unorganized mess which made up the student portfolio’s. Just from a glance, Armin knew they would either need to have a lot of luck or help if they wanted to be able to find Eren’s file before the end of the day.

“Are you going in or what? We don’t have much time you know.”

he stumbled forward, a not so subtle shove from behind nearly causing him to lose his balance. Glaring hotly at the onyx haired male, he let out a displeased huff as he shuffled to the side so the others could get in.

“Tch, I see the staff’s as lazy as ever, this place is a dump."

Levi was wrinkling his nose in disgust as he looked around the cramped room, obviously displeased by the state the staff had left it in.

“Blondy, go look through the files in the back and you, go through the files on the desk. I’ll look around here, if you find his file make sure to tell the rest. We should try to limit the amount of time we spend in here or we’ll get caught.”

He was already shuffling through the nearest documents as he said the last bit, flicking his wrist in the general direction he wanted the others to look through.

“Won’t the other two at your table sell us out? After all, you do sit with the secretary and president of the school.”

Mikasa was regarding Levi with suspicion once more, aware that if they were to get caught in here, the ones who would take the worst damage would be her and Armin. He flicked his eyes up towards her, quirking a brow in a ‘seriously’ expression before going back to looking through the files.

“Erwin and Hanji won’t tell, commander eyebrows may have a stick up his ass but he still does value connections. He wouldn’t do anything that would threaten his relationship with my household.”

“Um, _excuse_ me? What are you _nobility_? You’re talking like you’re some sort of big deal or something.”

He paused in his shuffling for the second time, sighing as he looked up at the two younger students who had yet to help look through files.

‘Seriously, they were the ones who asked me to bring them here in the first place and now they aren’t doing shit.’

“Look, Erwin’s parents may be the heads of this school, but my parents run this whole fucking school district. Now stop wasting time and help me look for your friends file.”

Armin’s eyes were widened in surprise, this was obviously new information to him and for him, not knowing something that important really came as a shock. Mikasa was quick to shut up now, immediately going to her corner to begin the search, Armin following suite moments after.

‘I swear these brats are too much work for me.’

 

* * *

 

 ~Levi's POV~

 

“Found it!”

'Thank god, I don’t think I can stand another minute in this vile room.'

I shoved the folders back in the vague area they came from and quickly walked over towards the blonde haired student.

“Let’s see, Eren Yeager...Ah he lives in the Shiganshina district!”

“Isn’t that 20 minutes away by bus?”

The three looked at the address one more time, just to make sure they hadn’t misread the information.

“But...Eren always walks here and back home.”

“Well I guess that explains why he’s always in better shape than me.”

Armin was chuckling nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to disperse the growing tension in the room.

“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t really say Eren was in great shape last I saw of him.”

The obsidian haired girl whipped to face me, panic and fear lacing her expression as she searched my face for something. Her eyes looked almost wild as she stood up, gripping her arm with such force I could already see the beginning signs of a bruise forming beneath her fingers.

“Why...why didn’t I say anything. I saw that he was in pain but…”

Her jaw clenched as she dug her nails into her arm, a small trickle of blood beginning it’s descent down her arm.

“Hey, Mikasa stop it! It’s not your fault. Eren didn’t tell any of us what was going one, we couldn’t have known that he was in so much pain.”

She relaxed her bruising grip on her arm slightly, still trembling as she allowed her friend to comfort her. I pulled the folder out of the other boy’s hand as I looked through the information, skimming through to see if there was anything else that stuck out.

“Hmm, it says here that Eren only has one legal guardian, this Grisha Yeager person.”

“Oh yeah, Eren lives with his dad. His mother...well he doesn’t really like to talk about what happened to her too much, all I can tell you is that she’s no longer around.”

A pang of sadness traveled through my chest as I turned back to the folder, looking at the adorably cute photo of Eren in the top corner. His head was ducked at a slight angle, peeking up through his long lashes as a shy blush covered his cheeks. His eyes were what interested me the most, a deep underlying sadness hidden in those depths that only another person who’d experienced such a traumatic event would notice.

Maybe that’s what drew me to him the first time I met him, it felt like there was some sort of connection forming but until now, I’d never been able to understand why.

I felt anger building inside me, a fierce desire to protect and help the shy brunette coursing through me. Maybe I was just looking into this too much but I felt like there was something terrible happening to the boy, that if I didn’t go after the brat now; I’d never have another chance to go after him again.

Steeling my resolve, I turned to the other two. “Arlert and Ackerman was it? Good. Let’s go pay him a little visit tonight.”

The two turned astonished looks towards me as the both gasped in unison, stunned that I’d be willing to help.

“Meet by the gate after school, we’re going to find out what’s happening with Eren once and for all.”

 

* * *

 

 ~Grisha's POV~

 

‘This isn’t good. Damn that worthless son of mine! How dare he go to the school’s infirmary. If they find out what’s happening they’ll take him away!’

I was panicking, they can’t take him away! He’s the last thing that’s keeping me _sane_! The last connection I have to her...if I lose him I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.

“Dammit!”

I threw yet another vase across the room, watching in satisfaction as the delicate glassware shattered against the opposite wall. Maybe it’s time to move, to get away from everything and start over again. Yes a fresh start! That’s what we need.

I paced back and forth for a few more minutes, finalizing the last details in my head as I pulled out my phone and began the necessary preparation.

‘First I have to un-enroll him from that annoying school. He won’t learn anything there anyways, it’s just teeming with delinquents.’

Just as I was about to call the school, my phone went off by itself, vibrating in my hand as it alerted me to an incoming phone call. Noting the call was coming from one of my clientele in the hospital I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

Growling under my breath, I pulled on my best professional voice and answered my phone.

“This is Doctor Grisha Yeager speaking, how can I help you.”

I listened to them blabber on for a few minutes about useless information, just wanting this whole ordeal to be over so I can get on with my own plans.

“You need me to come into the office now!”

I couldn’t contain all of my frustration, allowing some to leak into my voice as the person on the other end pleaded with me to go.

“Fine, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, this better be important.”

I hung up hastily and slammed the phone down on the nearest counter, massaging my temple as I took in my bad luck.

‘Fuck, better get this over with. The sooner the better.’

With that thought in mind I strode across the room, grabbing my keys out of the bowl in the front and exiting the house. Hopefully this won’t take too long.

 

* * *

 

 ~Third POV~

 

“Will you two keep it down! If you hadn’t noticed by now we’re trying NOT to get caught trespassing on people’s property.”

Mikasa shot him an unimpressed glare as she folded her hands in front of her chest.

“Well excuse us. Unlike you, we don’t go sneaking around other people's property in the middle of the night.”

Rolling his eyes, he chose to ignore her haughty comeback and focus on the house up ahead instead, peering through the prickly branches of the holly bush they were currently hiding behind. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the man exiting the house, seemingly muttering under his breath. The man looked like he was rather annoyed, pretty much mirroring what Levi felt right now, but there was something else to the man that had him on high alert.

He waited in a tense silence, trying his best to ignore the shuffling of his less experienced companions as he watched the man pull out of his driveway and drive off down the road.

Once he was sure the man wasn’t coming back, he gestured to the other two as he slunk through the bushes, darting from cover to cover as he made his way towards the house.

A loud exclamation had him cringing as he turned around to find Mikasa struggling with her hair caught in one of the bushes branches, Armin trying his best to quiet and help the struggling girl.

‘Why did I even bring them along?’

sighing in exasperation he went back to their side, crouching next to them as he pulled out a small flip knife from his back pocket.

“Why the heck are you carrying that around with you! Don’t tell me you bring that thing to school too!”

“Relax, it’s just for emergencies like these.”

He maneuvered around the blonde as he assessed the area of tangled hair to determine the best place to cut.

“Don’t even think about it shorty, I can get out just fine without you!”

“Look, this is the fastest way to get you out. Now I’d be more than happy to leave you here but unfortunately, that’s not an option right now, with the amount of noise you’re making; we’d be lucky if we only woke up _half_ the block.”

She continued glowering angrily at him but made no other protest as he gently took hold of the main knot keeping her trapped here. With one precise cut, he freed her but at the cost of a section of the the girls hair.

She looked back towards the bush, noting the chunk of raven hair still stuck on the branch. Bringing the cut section of her hair forward, she assessed the neat cut and glanced back at Levi through slightly approving eyes.

“Not bad.”

“Ok we aren’t here to give each other haircuts, lets just check in on the kid and leave.”

Something was wrong, he could feel it, the anxiety making him grow impatient as he went back to creeping towards the building. After a quick check to make sure no one was still out and about, he darted to the gate leading to their backyard, quickly hoisting himself over with practiced ease and landing on the other side with a soft thud.

A gentle knock on the wood behind him had him on high alert.

“Hey genius, open the door. We aren’t as agile as you seem to be.”

With great annoyance, Levi headed back towards the gate, undoing the lock and pushing the door open slightly to let the other two in. Once they were all gather in the back, they closed the gate quietly and crept towards one of the back windows.

Armin peered into the room first and gave the all clear signal to the others.

“Alright seems like no one’s home.”

“Eren’s gotta be here! There’s no where else he could be and if he was missing, I’m sure his father would’ve looked far more worried when he left earlier.”

they all nodded to each other in silent agreement as the crept around the back of the house, looking for a way in.

Levi tried the back door first but to no avail, it was locked. His attention was drawn towards Arlert’s direction as he started flagging him down wildly, probably finding a way in. Once he’d signaled the other raven haired female over, he briskly trotted over to the blonde boy’s side, finding the open window.

He stepped forward, motioning them to wait here while he made sure the coast was clear.

Lifting the window open a little more, he swung a leg over the sill and ducked into the room. Crouching behind the counter for a second before peering over, scanning the surroundings and listening for any sound of movement in the house. The only greeting he got in response was complete silence, not even a creak sounding throughout the entire house.

It felt so wrong, he was almost tempted to call off the mission but the thought of the boy being alone and scared drove him forward. Whistling to let the others know it was clear, he moved further into the house; allowing himself to move around more freely as he determined it was safe.

Two soft thuds announced the entrance of his younger companions as they joined him in what he determined was the kitchen.

They took a moment to adjust to the new lighting as they scanned the room with weary eyes.

“It doesn’t feel right in here…”

“Then move your ass, the sooner we find him the sooner we can get out of here.”

The crept quietly into the next room, constantly on high alert for any warning that his father had returned.

Making their way through the narrow halls, they reached a new room, horror filling their gazes as they took in the room’s state. Shards of glass littered the floor, stains from some sort of fluid evident in smeared blotches across the walls.

“I have a really bad feeling about this.”

Armin stood shivering at the entrance to the room, worry emanating off his small frame. Mikasa was the first to set foot in the room, looking around at the torn up furniture, eyes narrowing at suspicious dark blotches on the floor.

Rage filled her as an idea of what must’ve happened here formed, hatred brewing as she was outraged that his own father could be the culprit to his wounds.

Levi himself was barely hanging onto his sanity, his own anger and blind fury threatening to overwhelm him. Why did he let Eren go back to a place like this, why didn’t he stop Eren when he had the chance!

He smashed his fist into the nearest wall, a loud bang echoing around the room as he let his anger drain from his system.

“I’ll _kill_ him, I swear I’ll _kill_ that man if it’s the last thing I do!”

 

* * *

 

 ~Eren's POV~

 

I awoke to the sound of footsteps above me, hushed gasps and whispers coming from the room above me.

'This can’t be right, there were too many footsteps to be from one person and my father never lets anyone else into the house.'

My curiosity got the better of me as I strained to hear their voices.

“I have a really bad feeling about this.”

'Was that...Armin? What’s he doing here? How does he even know where I live...'

I heard them continue to shuffle through the room above me, no doubt stunned by the mess my father probably left up there.

‘Are they looking for me?'

Why else would they be here, after all, it’s not like Armin had a habit of breaking and entering into people’s homes.

A loud bang rang through the room above, shudders from the impact vibrating through the ground around him.

“I’ll kill him, I swear I’ll kill that man if it’s the last thing I do!”

'That can’t be right...it can’t possibly be Levi! I need to let them know I’m here, I have to find a way to get their attention.'

I focused all my strength into my hand, trembling with the effort as I slowly managed to twitch my fingers.

‘Come on, please don’t fail me now.’

The progress was painfully slow but eventually I managed to lift my arm. With the small success, I felt more confident, peering around the room until I noticed a metal bucket just within arms reach.

‘I don’t know if I have the strength to tip it over but I won’t know till I try. Here goes nothing.’

using the last of my energy reserves, I reached out towards the bucket; shoving it with as much force as I could.

Finally, luck seemed to be on my side as it tipped over and fell on it’s side, rolling across the floor and knocking a few other cans over in the process. The noise made from the collateral collisions would surely alert them to where I was.

I sighed in relief as my job was done, now I can only hope they'll be able to figure it out from there.

 

* * *

 

~Third POV~

 

“What was that.”

“It sounds like it came from right underneath us.”

They all began to search the room, looking for the source of the sound or a passage leading to the source.

Levi scrutinized every crack in the wall, every square inch of the floor but to no avail. His frustration clearly leaking out of him as he increased his frenzied searching pace.

“Over here! I think I found something.”

The raven was on Armin in an instant looking down at the unnatural bump showing through the carpet laid on the floor. Yanking the cloth out of the way, his eyes gleamed as he found a hidden door beneath.

Mikasa was the first to try pulling the latch open, growling in irritation as the door wouldn’t budge.

“Fuck it’s locked.”

Armin stood up quickly, whirling around as he called over his shoulder

“I’ll go look for a key-”

“Fuck this shit!”

Both Mikasa and Armin merely stood by and watched, mouths agape in awe as Levi smashed his foot down through the door, proving an effective method of unlocking it.

Wrenching what remained of the hatch out of the floor, Levi tossed it to the side, all worries about being quiet forgotten in his haste.

“Damn…”

Mikasa was impressed, although she’d die before she'd ever admit it; pursing her lip as she fought to suppress the admiration blooming within her.

Levi hopped down into the room below, being careful not to accidentally land on the boy hidden in the shadows.

“Hey brat, missed me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was as good as the others, I was pretty worried as my mind went blank half way through writing and I almost gave up on it. However, I did not and it feels great to finally get it off my chest. Now all I have to do is update More than a Monster and I'm free till next week!


	6. Unsealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start I'd just like to thank everyone for reading this story. I can't believe it's gotten 100 kudo's already! Honestly, I don't think it really deserves all the complements people have been leaving on it and It really brightens my day to know people like it. Thank you again for all the support and I hope I can continue to write a good story :)

 

~Levi's POV~

 

‘Fuck he looks even worse than I remember…’

Eren lay in a heap in the middle of the room, the floor beneath him stained a murky dark black. His eyes were as expressive as ever, never losing that shimmering quality as they locked onto me.

The corner of his lip trembled, lifting slightly into a half smile before pain flashed across his features; ending any further attempt at a smile. I swiftly made my way over to him, kneeling next to his shuddering form before placing a hand on his shoulder, applying a light pressure until he went limp.

“I swear, you just don’t know when to give up do you?”

My voice was filled with dry humor as I eyed his diminished build, trying to both comfort him and keep myself calm. I guess I wasn’t doing a great job as he shot me a fierce glare, a challenge lighting his fiery gaze. I did a double take, only just realizing what I said after it came out.

“Fuck I didn’t mean...that came out wrong-”

Thank god for whoever came down next, I swear, I know I’m no good with words but this is just ridiculous!

“Eren!”

I didn’t even protest as I was shoved aside, still reprimanding myself for telling Eren to give up.

“Oh my god! Who would do something so-no, now's not the time, we need to get you to a hospital ASAP!”

Mikasa was hastily gathering Eren up into her arms, jostling the poor boy as he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. A low broken whimper emitting from his sorry form as he struggled to relay the torment that his body was going through from the action.

“Mikasa stop, You’re hurting him!”

She went stiff as a board at that, her gaze immediately seeking the boy’s face as she tried to gauge just how much damage she’d done. Luckily, she was smart enough not to move any more than she had to with the overly sensitive boy in her arms.

He looked even more fragile next to her toned frame, his bony arms contrasting her muscled ones, making the change all that more noticeable.

“What should we do? I don’t think he’ll last much longer if we stay here.”

“Not only that but his father’s bound to come back soon, he didn’t seem like he fancied the idea of having to go out.”

By now I’d managed to ground myself back into the present, tuning into the current discussion being held before me. I growled at the idea of that man laying a single finger on the delicate boy, he’d done enough as it was.

I paced towards the two younger students, ducking down next to the whimpering boy. Reaching towards him with great care, I gently brushed my fingers against his cheek before cupping it in one hand. I felt a sharp glare boring into me at my action but I could care less if his friends approved of what I was doing, right now Eren was all that mattered in my eyes.

I waited tentatively for Eren to open his eyes, his whimpering softening and body relaxing into my touch. After a few more awkward minutes of silent glaring from the raven haired female, Eren finally opened his eyes. Brilliant forest green eyes with cyan accents beaming up at me.

Crap, I could barely remember what I was thinking about, my throat closing up and mouth going dry as I lost myself to those mesmerizing pools. Before I could completely lose myself though, I pulled myself back together, reminding myself now was not the time to be fantasizing about such thoughts. Clearing my throat, I made sure Eren was focusing on me as I spoke.

“Eren, do you want us to take you away from here?”

In their haste to help their friend, the blonde and raven neglected to ask Eren what he wanted. After all, it wasn’t their place to jump to conclusions or make decisions for him. No matter how much I wanted him to say yes, I would respect whatever verdict he chose.

That wouldn’t stop me from beating the crap out of his father though, that inbred deserves it.

Eren held my gaze for a moment longer, a clear struggle taking place within him as he came to a conclusion. He blinked weakly up at me before giving me a belated nod, regret and sorrow clouding his gaze, as if he believed he was betraying someone by asking for help.

I gently rubbed circles with my thumb into his cheek, rejoicing as he was actually willing to accept their help for once. I made to lift him out of the raven haired girl's arms but she just slapped my hands away, jostling the boy unnecessarily again.

“I can carry him just fine!”

My anger flared as she denied me access to the brunette in her arms, both our protective instincts towards the boy clashing as we shot murderous glares at each other. Armin was standing between us, trying in vain to get us to calm down. The sound of screeching tires broke our glaring contest as horror etched onto all of our face. He was back.

“Crap”

 

* * *

 

 

~Grisha's POV~

 

‘Those fucking idiots! Why the hell did they even need me?’

I swear my coworkers must be delinquents if they can’t even diagnose a patient with a flu. Thanks to those morons I wasted both time and effort.

‘Well now that I’m back might as well get ahead with the preparations.’

I walked further into the house, passing the living room on my way to the kitchen. Something caught my attention in my peripheral vision, noticing the gaping hole where the entrance to the secret room should be.

“Fuck!”

I ran into the room, making a beeline to the exposed cellar, ignoring everything else in my haste. However my progress was interrupted. A blinding pain blooming from the back of my skull as I was struck, my body lurching forward with the impact.

The ground rushed up to meet me as I fell forward, crumpling into a heap on the floor, clutching my throbbing head.

“Who the-”

I hardly had a chance to catch my breath before I was struck in the chest with a well aimed kick. Knocking the breath out of me and causing me to double over in a bloody coughing fit. I looked up in time to watch as the raven lunged forward, delivering a bone shattering punch to my jaw.

I lay in a gasping mess on the floor, something I haven’t felt in a long while pumping through my veins.

Fear

The young man was regarding me with disgust, hatred leaking out of his aggressive form. He was just about to throw another punch at me when another person came between us, catching the raven’s fist.

“Levi stop! He’s had enough.”

A young blonde boy was desperately trying to get the boy to stop, a pleading look in his crystal blue eyes as Levi continued to glare down at me.

“You seriously believe this bastards had enough! After what he’s done to Eren?”

At the mention of the boy’s name the blonde stiffened, his determination wavering slightly before he shut his eyes.

“As much as I want to hurt him too, we can’t…”

His answer didn’t seem to satisfy the raven as he wrenched his arm out of the other’s grasp. Any reason he may have held seemed to have abandoned him, his eyes taking on a wild expression as he approached me.

The blonde was clinging to him now, panic lacing his expression as he realized he wasn’t strong enough to stop Levi. I only had to take one look at his approaching from to know this was the end for me. There was no way I was going to make it out of here alive.

I closed my eyes in acceptance, strangely enough feeling relieved as I thought of my own demise. At least I can be with her again…

“STOP!”

The weak yet determined sounding voice filtered around the room, my eyes shooting open in shock at the familiarity of that voice. My eyes sought out the source, narrowing in on the struggling bundle in a third person’s arms.

My jaw dropped as I took in the sight of my son, the person I have taken all my resentment out upon, fighting to protect me. His eyes glowing with strength even when his body lacked the power to back it up.

My eyes were burning, anguish filling me as I saw firsthand how much I’ve hurt him. His handsome features distorted with his condition, his bones clearly defined through his skin and the multitude of bruises littering his pale sickly skin.

_How, how is he so strong?_

A loud thud followed by a sharp gasp came from their direction as Eren freed himself from the ebony haired girl. Still, he forced himself to crawl towards me, the burning dedication never wavering even with the pain I had no doubt he was in.

I was rendered speechless, silent tears trickling down my face as I was reminded once more why I was never able to face him.

 

* * *

 

 

~Third POV~

 

The three students just stood in shock as they watched the brunette make his painfully slow journey across the room. The only sound breaking the silence being the dragging noises of cloth against wooden floor boards. Levi was the first to snap himself out of his shocked state, immediately rushing to Eren’s side.

“Eren stop, you shouldn’t be moving.”

Even as Levi said this he was still in a state of shock, not fully believing he actually heard Eren speak. The boy who had been mute for the past five years, speaking to protect the person who’d been the cause of his suffering. The thought was simply ludicrous in his mind.

Eren clutched Levi’s collar with all the strength he had in him, pulling himself up as much as he could so he could be at eye level with the raven haired male. The same conviction still plastered across his features as frustrated tears leaked from the corner of his eyes. Both a command and desperate plea in his eyes as he opened his mouth.

Time seemed to slow down as a low raspy voice permeated the stuffy room, lightening the atmosphere around them.

“Please stop, Levi, d-don’t hurt him anymore.”

Even though the sentence was choppy and his voice strained with the effort, it still sounded like music to the ears of his friends who’d missed his comforting speech. Levi was rendered incapacitated by Eren’s voice, being the most delicate and alluring sound he’d ever heard.

All previous anger left his system, his attention focused solely on the brunette now leaning heavily against him. Levi’s hands were shaking as he brought them up around Eren, encircling his frame and pulling Eren’s head into his shoulder. The brunette relaxed into his hold, content to allow their bodies collapse against one another, fitting together like perfect puzzle pieces.

“I’m sorry Eren-”

“Shh, it’s alright. Just don’t hurt him anymore.”

He was so light, it frightened Levi as he held onto Eren, his fingers tangling in Eren’s messy chocolate brown locks.

The boost of adrenaline was quickly leaving his system, strength rapidly depleting as his body melted further into Levi’s embrace.

“Oi, brat stay with me.”

The raven haired male’s voice was brimming with alarm, taking note of Eren’s worsening condition.

“I’m sorry…”

Levi’s eyes swelled with horror as he caught the whispered apology, wrenching the boy from his shoulder to see his face. Eren’s eyes were drooping closed, faded in colour and beginning to cloud over.

“Shit! We have to get him to the hospital now!”

Armin and Mikasa snapped back to attention at Levi’s distress, realizing Eren wasn’t going to last much longer. They were on the brink of hysteria when an unexpected voice filtered into the mix. The person speaking being the last person they would have even considered about asking for help from.

Grisha was standing by this point, it was a struggle of course, taking the brutal beating he received at the hands of Levi into account.

“Well, are you all going to just sit around like deers caught in a headlight, or are you gonna help me get him in the car?”

Armin and Mikasa gaped at the complete 180 Grisha was exhibiting, maintaining a more professional and serious tone now that Eren’s life was at stake.

Levi didn’t need to be told twice before he was rushing towards the door, carefully cradling Eren’s listless form in his arms. Grisha quick to follow and eventually accompanied by Eren’s friends.

Levi hopped into the back, Gently maneuvering the brunette into a comfortable position on his lap. Grisha thrust his keys towards Armin before heading towards the other back door, a confused protest halting him in his tracks. Turning back towards the startled blonde, he quickly explained.

“Eren needs treatment now, I can assess him on the way there so we can immediately begin treatment on him once we arrive at the hospital.”

Armin nodded in understanding, hesitance still lingering in his posture as he got into the driver side of the car. He didn’t have his driver’s license yet, hell he’d never even driven before!

Taking a few calming breaths he looked at the various controls and gears in front of him, recognizing a few of the symbols on the console.

“I can do this.”

Muttering quiet encouragement to himself under his breath, he turned on the ignition and put the car into reverse. Once they’d made it out the driveway, he started heading towards the nearest hospital, Mikasa helping with the direction as Armin continued his nervous driving.

“For Fuck’s sake speed up kid! I can _walk_ to the hospital faster than this!”

That was the last straw, Armin was tired of having to put up with everyone’s shit. With renewed determination, he pressed the pedal to the metal and floored it, stunning everyone in the car.

Mikasa was clutching onto the sides of her seat, eyes widening in horror as Armin swerved around a corner, cutting a few cars off in the process.

It was safe to say everyone in the car was terrified by Armin’s new found erratic driving. Even still, Grisha tried his best to focus on Eren, Levi still eyeing him with suspicion as he held Eren still.

At their new speed, it didn’t take long for them to make it to the hospital, getting there in record time.

As well as in one piece which was an added bonus.

With Grisha in the lead, they rushed straight through the waiting room and into the emergency room, Grisha giving out orders to the nurses nearest to him as he went along.

Levi placed Eren down in the first unoccupied, movable hospital bed he found, nurses quickly taking over to wheel him to the operating room. He tried to follow after the weak brunette but was stopped by one of the doctors, being told to wait in the waiting room like everyone else.

He glowered at the man but in the end, there was nothing he could do.

Muttering curses under his breath, he made his way back to the overly stuffy waiting room, locating his other two friends before long and grimacing in their seating choice.

Levi tried his best to ignore the sniffling woman next to him, the child in her arms sneezed in his direction causing him to snap at them both.

He received a multitude of cold glares for yelling at two obviously ill people, but he could care less. Choosing instead to shuffle as far away from the pair as he could.

‘I hate hospitals.’

 

* * *

 

 

~Levi's POV~

It felt like we were waiting in that room for days, the room slowly emptying out as the night wore on.

Armin had passed out at some point, dozing on Mikasa’s shoulder as exhaustion took its toll on him. She was also beginning to show the first signs of fatigue as she rubbed her eyes tiredly, stifling a yawn as she sat in place.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit affected by the previous events, my concerns for Eren driving me to stay awake.

We'd been waiting for about four hours before a nurse came out and called us over, updating us on his current condition in a hushed tone. She went straight to the point, telling us he was out of dangerous waters but still very weak, it could be weeks before he’d be back on his feet.

There was a hint of sympathy in her voice as she regretfully informed us we wouldn’t be able to see him today, shooing us off to go home as it’d be awhile before Eren could take visitors.

Armin gave the woman Grisha’s keys, informing her that they belonged to said doctor and asking politely if she’d return them for him. She nodded with a tired smile before turning back to the doors leading to the critical care unit.

We made our way to the front of the hospital at a sluggish pace, parting ways to walk back to our homes.

My gut clenched at the thought of leaving Eren alone in that hospital, his father still on the loose in there. Who know’s what that man will do! I mean sure he saved Eren’s life but that didn’t change that fact he’d been the one to put Eren in that condition in the first place.

My pace slowed further as those thoughts weighed heavily in my mind. Eventually I came to the conclusion that Eren would be safe in the hospital, even Grisha wouldn’t do something so stupid in public right?

I hope...


End file.
